In the process of fabricating modem semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), it is necessary to form various material layers and structures over previously formed layers and structures. However, the prior formations often leave the top surface topography of an in-process wafer highly irregular, with bumps, areas of unequal elevation, troughs, trenches, and/or other surface irregularities. These irregularities cause problems when forming the next layer. For example, when printing a photolithographic pattern having small geometries over previously formed layers, a very shallow depth of focus is required. Accordingly, it becomes essential to have a flat and planar surface, otherwise, some parts of the pattern will be in focus and other parts will not. In fact, surface variations on the order of less than 1000 Å over a 25×25 mm die would be preferable. In addition, if the irregularities are not leveled at each major processing step, the surface topography of the wafer can become even more irregular, causing further problems as the layers stack up during further processing. Depending on the die type and the size of the geometries involved, the surface irregularities can lead to poor yield and device performance. Consequently, it is desirable to effect some type of planarization, or leveling, of the IC structures. In fact, most high density IC fabrication techniques make use of some method to form a planarized wafer surface at critical points in the manufacturing process.
One method for achieving semiconductor wafer planarization or topography removal is the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. In general, the chemical mechanical 5 polishing (CMP) process involves holding and/or rotating the wafer against a rotating polishing platen under a controlled pressure. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical CMP apparatus 10 includes a polishing head 12 for holding the semiconductor wafer 14 against the polishing platen 16. The polishing platen 16 is covered with a pad 18. This pad 18 typically has a backing layer 20 which interfaces with the surface of the platen and a covering layer 22 10 which is used in conjunction with a chemical polishing slurry to polish the wafer 14. However, some pads have only a covering layer and no backing layer. The covering layer 22 is usually a blown polyurethane pad (e.g. Rodel IC 1000) or a sheet of polyurethane with a grooved surface (e.g. Rodel OXP3000). The pad material is wetted with the chemical polishing slurry containing both an abrasive and chemicals. One typical chemical slurry includes KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) and fumed-silica particles. The platen is usually rotated about its central axis 24. In addition, the polishing head is usually rotated about its central axis 26, and translated across the surface of the platen 16 via a translation arm 28. Although just one polishing head is shown in FIG. 1, CMP devices typically have more than one of these heads spaced circumferentially around the polishing platen.
A particular problem encountered during a CMP process is in the determination that a part has been planarized to a desired flatness or relative thickness. In general, there is a need to detect when the desired surface characteristics or planar condition has been reached. This has been accomplished in a variety of ways. Early on, it was not possible to monitor the characteristics of the wafer during the CMP process. Typically, the wafer was removed from the CMP apparatus and examined elsewhere. If the wafer did not meet the desired specifications, it had to be reloaded into the CMP apparatus and reprocessed. This was a time consuming and labor-intensive procedure. Alternatively, the examination might have revealed that an excess amount of material had been removed, rendering the part unusable. There was, therefore, a need in the art for a device which could detect when the desired surface characteristics or thickness had been achieved, in-situ, during the CMP process.
Several devices and methods have been developed for the in-situ detection of endpoints during the CMP process. For instance, devices and methods that are associated with the use of ultrasonic sound waves, and with the detection of changes in mechanical resistance, electrical impedance, or wafer surface temperature, have been employed. These devices and methods rely on determining the thickness of the wafer or a layer thereof, and establishing a process endpoint, by monitoring the change in thickness. In the case where the surface layer of the wafer is being thinned, the change in thickness is used to determine when the surface layer has the desired depth. And, in the case of planarizing a patterned wafer with an irregular surface, the endpoint is determined by monitoring the change in thickness and knowing the approximate depth of the surface irregularities. When the change in thickness equals the depth of the irregularities, the CMP process is terminated. Although these devices and methods work reasonably well for the applications for which they were intended, there is still a need for systems which provide a more accurate determination of the endpoint.